Arizona State University Honored by EPA

In a ceremony on campus yesterday, Arizona State University’s Sustainable Cities Network was recognized by the EPA’s Regional Administrator, Jared Blumenfeld. The Pacific Southwest Region’s 2012 Green Government Award was presented to Anne Reichman, program manager for the Sustainable Cities Network at ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability.

Mar 05, 2013

The Sustainable Cities Network is a collaborative program created by Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS) to increase regional dialogue and action amongst Arizona communities. In partnership with local city, county and tribal leaders from the Valley, GIOS established the voluntary Network in late 2008, linking together municipal and tribal sustainability practitioners from over 25 jurisdictions and Maricopa County. Through the regular meetings of its five workgroups, the Network educates and works with local community partners to streamline green city operations and design sustainable neighborhoods.

“EPA applauds the Sustainable Cities Network and its work to bridge the gap between the university’s research and communities working to advance solar and renewable energy, mitigate urban heat islands, and deal with water challenges associated with a changing climate,” said Blumenfeld. “The dialogue fostered by the Network is crucial to the development of a green future for Arizona.”

The Network has been successful in obtaining grant funds to further workgroup initiatives associated with green infrastructure, low impact development (LID), and streamlining solar processes. The Sustainable Cities Network is one of the first university/community-based sustainability outreach programs in the country and serves as a successful model that can be replicated by other universities to create community engagement focused on greening government and increasing local sustainability.